Year 9 into 10 Options Booklet 2020-2021 - Introduction and Options Process

Sep 5, 2026

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Year 9 into 10 Options Booklet 2020-2021 supports parents and students with choosing Year 10 course options. It explains how decisions affect motivation, achievement, and future pathways into further and higher education, industry, and work. The booklet outlines recent national qualification changes, emphasizes maintaining a broad and balanced curriculum, and provides guidance on selecting options, including EBacc considerations. It also details a structured options timeline and how confirmation forms are used.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Options for students to upper school courses and choices

The options process

Key dates and confirmations

Year 10 options subjects 2020-2022

YEAR 9 INTO 10 OPTIONS BOOKLET 2020-2021 A MESSAGE FOR PARENTS FROM THE HEADTEACHER INTRODUCTION Dear Parents/Carers The time has come for your child, supported by you, to make decisions about the choice of courses to follow in Year 10. The decisions made as part of this process are clearly important ones and it is crucial that your child takes time to consider their choices. Students need to feel that they have chosen subjects which will motivate them to study hard and in which they will find the greatest success, as well as giving them a foundation for future plans. There is plenty of support and guidance available to help with the process. This booklet provides information about each course on offer. The options evening, year assembly and information in lessons provide further details. Mentorsand teachers are working with the students to offer advice and guidance, and there is also support from the year team, the leadership team and our careers adviser, Carole Foster. A lot of changes have recently taken place to qualifications nationally. The new GCSEs in Maths and English are more demanding and have linear exams atthe end of the two year course. The new GCSE courses in other subjects mostly include far less coursework, with grades 1-9 awarded in all subjects. These courses are designed to be more rigorous, with all exams taken after two years of study. BTEC courses have also undergone alterations to enhance their standard. The performance measures used to judge schools are also changing, with an emphasis on judging the progress made by February 2020 each individual. As always, our aim is to help each student fulfil their potential academically and we are responding to each new change with this in mind. At this stage it is not expected that students will have a definite idea of what they want to do when they leave school. However, it is important to ensure that students continue with a broad and balanced range of subjects so that they are fully equipped when they come to face the fast-changing and demanding world of Further and Higher Education, industry, commerce, business and work. Students nationally now have more constraints about their choices, so to ensure that our students are not disadvantaged in the future, we have extra guidelines about one of their four choices. In addition, if students are capable of achieving the English Baccalaureate, particularly if they are considering university in the future, we strongly recommend that students look carefully at the subjects they need to study to achieve this (details are in the Introduction for Students to Upper School Courses and Choices section on the next page) . If you feel you need additional help or explanation, please contact Mrs Devine, Miss McManus, Mr Morgan or Mrs Banwait.. Yours faithfully M Marr Headteacher INTRODUCTION FOR STUDENTS TO UPPER SCHOOL COURSES AND CHOICES Core curriculum (subjects taken by all students) English Language English Literature Mathematics Science Physical Education Choices 2, 3 and 4 You can choose any other three subjects from the list on page 15, including the subjects in the Choice 1 list. Selecting the right options is important foryour future. It is best to aim for a balanced set of subjects, taking into account what you are good at, what you are interested in, what you enjoy doing and your future plans. INTRODUCTION Choice 1 Your first choice needs to be from the following list: (you may choose more than one subject from this list and each one will count as one of your four choices) . French Geography History Spanish Triple Science (This choice combines with core Science to give 7 lessons a week to complete 3 GCSEs in Biology, Physics and Chemistry.) English Baccalaureate (or EBacc): This is a measure which recognises students who have gained a grade 4 or above in English, Mathematics, History or Geography, the Sciences and a Language. We don’t know the future

FAQs

What should students consider when choosing Year 10 options?

Students should aim for a balanced set of subjects, considering what they are good at, interested in, enjoy, and how it links to future plans.

What is EBacc and why does the booklet recommend it?

EBacc is a measure recognizing grades in English, Mathematics, History or Geography, the Sciences, and a Language. The booklet notes that universities and employers may require it and that many schools nationally expect E or S band students to complete it.

What is the Year 10 options confirmation process and deadline?

After choices are submitted, a confirmation form is issued for students to take home for signatures. The deadline to return the confirmation form is Friday 6 March.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Miles